Children of the Shadows: Second Star to the Right
by Kara
Summary: When Zack and his squadron are lost on a night mission at Manticore, they have to use the stars to find their way home.


Second Star to the Right  
By Kara (anyalindir@aol.com)  
  
Rating: G  
Disclaimer: If this belonged to me and not to Cameron, Eglee, and Fox, I wouldn't be living with my parents. All other allusions belong to a Mr. Barrie.  
Spoilers/Timeframe: Preseries  
A/N: Part of the "Children of the Shadows" pre-series. Go read the rest of them. http://www.roswellunderground.com/shadows/childrenoftheshadows.html I dare ya.  
Dedication: For Stargurl, who likes seeing the mantikids at night  
  
2007  
  
"We're lost," Jace said flatly. "Lost. L-O-S-T. The Colonel's gonna be mad."  
  
Zack ignored her as he waved for the others to come back into the clearing. It was sunset, and they were supposed to find their way back to base by 1700 hours. By Zack's calculation, they missed that about two hours ago. At least it was spring, so it was warmer out. Jack was still getting over his winter cold, Tawny hovering over him protectively like he always did.  
  
Max and Jondy appeared in front of him, covered in dirt. "Report, soldiers," he said quietly, trying not to let the relieve show in his face.  
  
"We've lost sight of the stream, sir," Jondy said, for once using the proper soldier voice. "X-5452 thinks that the Enemy dropped us off at the northern perimeter fence." She pointed south. "The base could be that way."  
  
"X-5452?"   
  
Max looked up at him, dark eyes ashamed.   
  
"Sorry, sir," she muttered, eyes falling to the ground again.   
  
But Zack couldn't stand to see his littlest sister looking like that. He hated for any of his squadron to look disappointed, but somehow, it made all the difference when it was Max. "Max," he said softly, tilting up her chin. He noticed how long her eyelashes were and wondered what she would look like with longer hair like some of the Watchers had. Dr. Vertes had long hair. So did Dr. Cheney.  
  
"What do we do, Zack?" Brin's strong voice trembled slightly. They'd been on night missions before, but always with guards and soldiers looking out for them. This was the first time the Colonel let them out by themselves. All they had to do was find their way back to base. It was a simple mission-if they knew where the base was...  
  
Zack looked at the eleven faces around him. Zane had other half of his squadron, probably dropped somewhere on the south side of the perimeter. It wasn't a contest to see who got back to base first, but Zack knew the Colonel was testing him. It used to be a game, when they were still small. But then two of them died in a game of Capture the Flag with the X-4s. Then his brothers and sisters became more than just numbers to him. They had names now, and for some reason, he wanted to protect them even more.  
  
He could count off seven years now, seven New Year physicals that measured his height, his weight, and all his vital statistics. More numbers. Those numbers meant nothing to the twelve soldiers he had to lead home. The smallest of his soldiers had only seen four of those physicals. They were small yet. Jondy and Jack still couldn't touch the floor with their feet when they sat at the tables in the mess hall. Jack was starting to shiver now until Tawny actually unbuttoned his heavy camouflage shirt and hung it around their brother's thin shoulders.   
  
With a quick gesture, he motioned for Jace and Brin to come forward. Jondy gave him a suspicious look, but said nothing as she huddled next to Max.   
  
"Yessir?" Jace still wore her soldier face. She was one of the best at following orders. The Colonel liked that in her. But Zack worried sometimes, because she focused so much on the objective. Rules became so important, having everyone and everything in its place, that she froze up sometimes when she had to face something new. Syl and Zane could improvise their way out of any trap that the Colonel made for them, but Jace always had trouble thinking around the mission.  
  
"Scout to the south. I want to use fresh eyes to see if you two pick up anything new." He pitched his voice loud enough for Jondy to hear it. If he didn't he knew she'd say something back at the barracks. She would probably try pounding him too. Jondy was good at hitting him.  
  
Jace immediately nodded. Brin gave Max and Jondy a sideways glance before nodding. Your choice, her dark eyes said. She wouldn't come to his defense this time.  
  
It was getting darker now. His night vision kicked in, outlining the trees in a hazy green. Zack flashed the signal for "All Clear," something Ben made up after one of the Watchers almost caught him and Lex crawling in through the window one night. His brothers and sisters immediately relaxed, falling into a rough circle around him. Out of the corner of his eye, Zack caught sight of two small bodies in camo gear making their way towards him. Focusing in on their faces, he could see that they looked grim.   
  
"Report?"  
  
Brin shook her head. "I think Maxie's right. The base is south." She squared her thin shoulders, giving him an almost defiant look. "But I'm not sure."  
  
Zack nodded, and signaled that they were dismissed. Brin and Jace both snapped quick salutes before huddling with Jondy and Max off to the side. Jondy was still glaring at him like the baby bobcat they saw once, caught in a trap on the other side of the perimeter fence.  
  
"It's dark." Tawny's voice startled him. Tawny was one of the best at sneaking around-almost as good as Max. Jack followed at Tawny's heels like a shadow, gripping Tawny's overshirt tightly around his shoulders. "No moon tonight either."  
  
Scanning the nearby forest, Zack found the tree he wanted. He pointed to it, signaling to Tawny. "Scout, soldier. Then report."  
  
For a minute, it looked like Tawny was going to refuse, but he finally nodded. His yellow-gold eyes looked angry, but he did what he was ordered, just like he always did. With a quick look to Jack, Tawny jogged out of the clearing.  
  
A hand tugged at his sleeve. Zack was surprised to find Max and Jondy staring up at him. He hadn't even heard them sneak up. His little sisters were getting better at Stealth. "What?" His voice sounded cross. Max and Jondy both flinched back, eyes wide. Something wasn't right about his two little sisters looking like that. "No, wait-" He gulped. "Maxie, Jondy..."  
  
Sometimes Zack felt like the world was too big for him. He had twenty-three other lives that he had to look out for. A Commanding Officer was supposed to be strong and always remember the mission. But Jack's shakes were getting worse. Jen was already gone. And if something happened to Jack...the Colonel would find out eventually. And then Jack would be put in the basement with the nomalies.  
  
"The stars, Zack. Remember the stars?" Jondy pointed up. "We can't see the moon tonight, but we can see the stars."  
  
Zack stared at her. There were always stars in the sky. The Colonel taught them to make pictures in them, like Gemini, the brothers who fought in a great war and died. Sailors used to use the stars for navigation before they had JPL and radar. If they could find the right star...  
  
"Ben!" Ben went up to the High Place a lot. He was the best at remembering the stories that the Colonel told them. If Ben remembered the right star, they could find their way back to the base. "X-5493, report!"  
  
Ben stumbled in front of him, saluting neatly. "Yessir?" Even though it was night, Zack's brothers and sisters still remembered their objective. He didn't know if he should be proud, or sad. Something wasn't right about the fear in Ben's eyes, or about how hard it was to forget that they were on a mission.  
  
"What star do we need? The Colonel said that sailors navigated their way by looking at the stars. What one do we need?" In his excitement, Zack kept pointing at the thousands of stars overhead. "That one kinda looks like a cat. And I guess that one could be a bear..."  
  
Even in the dark, Ben's face looked surprised. "The North Star. The Colonel used the North Star, because it's right over the North Pole. It always faces North. It doesn't move like the other stars do. If we find the North Star, we can find North."  
  
"But we still don't know what direction the base is in," Jace piped up. "We could follow the star, but we still wouldn't find the base. We might just find the perimeter fence. And we can't go outside."  
  
Zack shot a look at Max and Jondy. They both stood wide-eyed, holding on to each other like they usually did. What if they did go Outside? Who would stop them? The Colonel left them all alone. If they climbed the perimeter fence...  
  
But they had an objective to complete. At least he knew all the dangers of the compound. You watched out for the nomalies in the basement, and you never spoke your name unless it was just your family around. Always obey orders. Zack didn't know how the rules worked on the Outside.  
  
"We should follow the star." Max's voice was soft. "If we find the North Star, and go South, maybe we'll find the base."  
  
The underbrush at the edge of the clearing rumbled and thrashed as Tawny burst through. "The perimeter fence is that way!" He pointed to the left. "I can't tell what fence it is, but if we go the other way..."  
  
Zack looked up at the stars, trying to find one that stood out among them. "Which one's the North one, Ben? How will we know?"  
  
"The Colonel always said it was the brightest star in the sky. And that a bear protected it. One of the guards said it was in the dipper." Ben's voice was doubtful as he scanned the sky. "Maybe it's the star that guards the Good Place."  
  
"That one." A hand appeared in front of Zack's face, pointing to the left, over the perimeter fence. "See, Zack? Second star to the right. The bright one." Jondy leaned against his side, and he automatically put his arm around her to keep her warm.  
  
Following the line of Jondy's arm, he counted two stars from the right of the one beyond her fingertip. The second star seemed a bit bigger and brighter than the others in the sky. It also seemed to form a little box with three others. If that was it...  
  
"Second star to the right," he repeated. "If that's North, then the base is South, just like Maxie said." Even in the darkness, he could see the smile on his littlest sister's face.   
  
Zack clapped once, the noise echoing through the silent clearing. Around him, his brothers and sisters snapped to attention. He quickly outlined the plan, pointing to the star, and then towards where he thought the base might be. He counted them off two by two, just in case they got separated along the way.  
  
Questions? he signaled. Eleven quick shakes were his answer. With one sweep of his arm, they fanned out behind him.  
  
The trip back passed quickly. Zack sent Max and Jondy to scout ahead, leaving Brin and Jace to bring up the back. Soft hoots told him that the Enemy wasn't ahead of them, or behind them. They might make it back to base alive after all. Every now and then, he sent Tawny up a tree to see what their location was. And every time he looked over his shoulder, the North Star hung in the same place, guiding him back.  
  
The sky was still dark when they saw the main Manticore complex. It was probably close to 0200 hours. They were late, and they failed to complete the mission, but they were back alive. With a quick count, Zack made sure that all eleven of his brothers and sisters were there. He didn't want to lose one. Not now. It didn't matter what the Colonel would do to him if another X-5 was lost.  
  
"You made it back." The Colonel stood outside the main entrance, flashlight in hand. Searchlights lit up the training yard like it was still daylight. The bright lights almost dimmed out the stars, but if Zack looked over his shoulder, he could still see the North Star as it set over the treeline.  
  
"Sir, yessir!" He saluted the Colonel, knowing that his brothers and sisters behind him would do the same. Colonel Lydecker seemed relieved. Zack didn't know if he'd ever seen the look on the Colonel's face before.  
  
"Good job, X-5599. Take your troops to the showers and then it's Light's Out."  
  
Zack nodded, waving his squadron towards the door. Before he followed them, he turned back to the Colonel. "Sir?"  
  
"Yes, X-5599." For once, the Colonel's voice was almost kind.  
  
"Did the others make it back?"  
  
For a moment, Zack thought he saw a smile cross the Colonel's stern face. "They made it back with a little help. You did a good job, soldier."  
  
He could feel his face burning with pride. "Thank you, sir."  
  
The Colonel gave him a slight shove. "Go shower."  
  
As Zack stood under the showerhead a few minutes later, he felt the pounding hot water ease the tension in his neck. At least everyone made it back. Somehow, he thought that Manticore depended on how his squadron did. They were still small and young, but someday, they would make a difference. They would fight bravely and make the Colonel so proud of them that he wouldn't hit anyone anymore. If they won enough, they might even be able to live in the Good Place, where no one got hit, and no one cried, and everyone got kisses at night just like the Watchers sometimes did when you were sick.  
  
"Zack?" Jondy's voice was quiet under the rush of water.   
  
He reached out, rubbing the top of her scruffy head with his soapy hand. Her hair was bristly again. The doctors would probably shave them again soon. "Good job, little sister."  
  
Jondy batted his hand away, laughing. "Stop it, you'll get soap in my eyes."  
  
Zack grinned back, rubbing her head harder. They didn't usually laugh in the showers. Laughing was something they could only do in the barracks. But this time, he was willing to let it slide. "You want soap in your eyes, little sister?" He picked up the bar of soap and starting rubbing it over her face.  
  
"Zack, stop!" She pounded him with her small fist. "Maxie!"  
  
He heard a holler as Max's body slammed into him from behind. They tumbled to the slick tile floor. For once, Max's dark eyes were laughing. Zack stared at her face for a minute, memorizing her expression.  
  
"What?" The laughter faded, replaced immediately by alarm. "What, big brother?"  
  
Zack shook his head. "Nothing, Maxie. It's time to dry off." He picked her up, setting her on her feet next to Jondy. "All clean, little sister?" Jondy nodded obediently.  
  
The water turned off, signaling that the showers were over. His brothers and sisters trooped out to the dressing room, drying off and putting on the scrubs from the cubbies marked with their barcode. Towels were neatly folded and left behind for tomorrow. Each one of them brushed their teeth as the sinks and used the stalls one last time.   
  
Their bare feet didn't make much noise as they marched through the hallway to the barracks. In their boots, Zack thought they sounded like real soldiers. In his bare feet, he felt smaller, like he should be the one that was looked out for. At least they'd performed well tonight. They made it back to the base without any help from the Colonel.  
  
"So the kids made it back, huh?" A soldier's voice echoed from ahead. "I know Deck had a team watching each group, just to make sure they didn't go over the wall."  
  
"They're fine now, but in a few years..." The second voice trailed off. "Deck better be prepared. Those kids are smarter than they look."  
  
Second star to the right-that's what guided them home. Zack didn't need the help of soldiers. With his brothers and sisters, he could take over the world if he wanted. He could even survive Outside.  
  
As they filed into the barracks and laid down on their cots, the others seemed more subdued than normal. Even Max and Jondy went to their own cots instead of sitting up like they usually did. The other X-5s were already asleep.  
  
Feeling restless, Zack padded over to the window and looked out. Even from the barracks, he could still see the North Star. Second star to the right. Someday he'd follow it North, all the way into morning, just to see what was Outside. He'd take Maxie and Jondy with him, just so that the wouldn't hunt him down. The second star to the right was a good star. No matter where it was in the sky, he knew deep down that it would always lead him home.  



End file.
